Dinner en homage Shohreh Aghdashloo

All hail the return of Cafe Drake's most popular feature, our Dinner en Homage series dedicated to meals and menus crafted with some of our dream guests in mind. Cooking for Ms. Aghdashloo would be a hoot not just because of her regal poise and elegant beauty but also because of the chance to prepare one of our favorite cuisines - Persian.

Suggested S. Aghdashloo Filmography: Surviving Paradise (2000); House of Sand and Fog (2003); The Stoning of Soraya M (2008)

DINNER EN HOMAGE SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO


Ash-e-jow (Iranian Barley Soup)


Khoresh Bamieh (Okra and Lamb Stew)

If you're offended by the "slimy" texture of okra be very careful when trimming the top ends - do not cut into the actual pod or you risk ending up with a gooey mess. That would not do for Shohreh.

• 1 pound fresh okras
• 1/2 pound lamb stew meat, cubed (or beef if you prefer)
  
• 4 Oz of Tomato Paste or
• 8 Oz of Tomato sauce
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Cut off the stems of the okras, wash and drain them. In a medium
size pot, fry the onions in oil over medium heat until they turn golden
brown. Add the meat, salt, pepper and turmeric, stir, and let it cook for
a few minutes. Occasionally stir so it doesn't stick to the pot. Add the
tomato sauce/paste, stir and let it cook over medium-low heat. If you use
tomato paste, dilute it in hot water before adding it in.

Depending on the toughness of the meat you use, it may take as much
as an hour for the meat to soften. Occasionally, put a sharp knife in one
of the pieces to see if it has softened. In the process, you may have to
add more tomato sauce and/or water to stop the sauce mixture from thickening.

When the meat has softened, give the mixture one last vigorous stir
and put the okras on top. With a knife make a few holes into the garlic
clove (unpeeled), and put it in one corner of the pot so that later it could
be retrieved. Let it cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until
the okras have lost their green color.




Sabzi Polo (Vegetable Rice Pilaf)

Though the instructions here may seem overly complicated the dish will not turn out unless that are followed - more or less - carefully.


• 4 cups (32 Oz) of white long grain rice.
• 4 tablespoons olive oil.
• 1/2 cup (4 Oz) chopped Chives/Scallion stems.
• 1-1/2 cups (12 Oz) Parsely .
• 1 cup (8 Oz) cilantro.
• 1-1/2 cups (12 Oz) fresh Dill Weed.
• A few large, outer leaves of lettuce.
• 4 Oz of water.

For best results, soak the rice for a few hours in hot water and salt before cooking.

Wash and drain the vegetables. Using a cutting board and while repeatedly bunching up the vegetables, finely chop them.

In a medium size pot, half-way filled with water, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice (and the water it was soaking in), and let it cook for a few minutes until it starts boiling. Stir the rice a few times during the boiling process. Occasionally chew on a few of rice grains to see if they have softened.

Near the end of boiling, add the fresh chopped vegetables. Stir the rice one last time and then take it out and drain it in a kitchen colander. Run the water on it to wash out some of the excess salt.

Pour the oil in the pot, add 4 Oz of water, lay the lettuce leaves in the bottom of the pot and add a bit of extra oil if necessary.

With the back of a spoon, make five holes, one in the center and four around it so that the rice can breath in the cooking process.

Spread a little water on top and close the lid. Let it cook for a few minutes on high heat. When steam starts to rise, change the setting to medium heat and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes. Then turn the heat to medium-low, sprinkle some cooking oil to prevent drying, and let it cook for about another 10-15 minutes before serving.

Walnut Halvah

Mint Tea